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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Three Men Charged with the Armed Robbery of PNC Bank

Three men have been charged with the armed robbery of a Charlotte branch of PNC Bank and with related charges, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. Attorney Tompkins is joined in making today’s announcement by Chris Briese, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division and Chief Rodney D. Monroe, of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

A federal criminal indictment unsealed on Thursday, July 17, 2012, in U.S. District Court in Charlotte charged Tony Humphrey, 18, Sadiq White, 26, and Adonte Young, 26, all of Charlotte, with one count of bank robbery, one count of armed bank robbery, and related charges.

Young

According to allegations contained in the indictment, on or about April 13, 2012, Humphrey, White and Young robbed the Charlotte branch of PNC Bank located at 1000 East Boulevard. Based on allegations contained in the indictment and related court proceedings, Humphrey and Young entered the bank armed with handguns and demanded cash. As they were leaving the bank, Young is alleged to have fired two shots from his weapon. According to court proceedings, Young and Humphrey fled the bank in a stolen vehicle. Court records indicate that Young and Humphrey abandoned the stolen getaway car and were picked up by White, who also drove Young to the bank the day before the robbery for the purpose of doing reconnaissance.

Court records also indicate that law enforcement recovered from the stolen getaway car a handgun, as well as a disguise worn by Young. Humphrey, Young and White each have also been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with the bank robbery.

Humphrey

According to allegations contained in the indictment, the defendants were also responsible for additional armed robberies which occurred in the Charlotte area in the month of April, 2012. Specifically, according to the indictment: Humphrey is alleged to have committed armed robbery against Regional Finance Corporation of North Carolina d/b/a Regional Finance of Charlotte (“Regional Finance”) on two separate occasions.

According to the indictment, On April 3, 2012, Humphrey robbed a Regional Finance office located at 5210 N. Tryon Street, Unit B, in Charlotte. Then, according to the indictment, on April 16, 2012, Humphrey robbed another Regional Finance office located at 4401 E. Independence Boulevard in Charlotte. On both occasions, Humphrey possessed a firearm during the robberies. In connection with these robberies, Humphrey is charged with two counts of interference with commerce by threats or violence (known as “Hobbs Act” robbery), and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a Hobbs Act robbery.

In addition to the Hobbs Act robbery, the indictment also charges Humphrey, and another Charlotte man, Corey Miller, 24, with two counts of attempted Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm in connection with those attempted robberies. In the indictment, Humphrey and Miller are alleged to have attempted to rob on April 6, 2012 a Sonic Restaurant, located at 7820 Forest Point Boulevard, in Charlotte, and Crown Auto Sales and Finance, on April 14, 2012, located at 5923 Orr Road in Charlotte.

In addition to the robbery and gun charges, White and Humphrey face drug related offenses. White faces two counts of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Humphrey faces one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

All defendants are currently in federal custody. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The statutory maximum sentence for each count of Hobbs Act robbery and each count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery is 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The statutory sentencing range for each count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of Hobbs Act robbery or attempted Hobbs Act robbery is a minimum of five years and a maximum of life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence and a $250,000 fine.

Bank robbery carries a statutory maximum sentence 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Bank robbery while armed with a firearm carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a bank robbery carries a minimum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, plus a $250,000 fine. Each count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine. And, the statutory range for possession with intent to distribute marijuana carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation was handled by the FBI and CMPD. The prosecution is being handled for the government by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Greene of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.